This guest blog was submitted by the Society for for Women’s Health Research and is being published in conjunction with National Women’s Health Week, which is May 11-17.

Autoimmune diseases (ADs) are conditions characterized by inflammatory responses from misdirected attacks by the immune system on the body’s organ systems. Currently, there are more than 80 ADs that have been identified, and they are the third most common major illness in the United States. These diseases can affect any part of the body, from the heart, to the brain, to the eyes and digestive tract. ADs affect roughly 7-10 percent of the U.S. population, and disproportionately affect women, who make up nearly 80 percent of patients with ADs. read more >